Sen. Barbara A. Mikulskis retirement announcement Monday sparked national reflections about her legacy and speculations about potential successors, but in the District of Columbia, officials and activists focused on the Maryland Democrats advocacy for D.C. and the nations capital region.

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser signed an agreement Monday launching the redevelopment of the Hill East District, with construction expected to begin next year on a project that includes additional apartments, a public village square and green space.

Administration officials have made it very clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not get to press the flesh with President Barack Obama before or after Tuesdays politically charged appearance on Capitol Hill. But, thanks to congressional spouse Elizabeth Roskam, Bibi wont be going home completely empty-handed.

A D.C. Superior Court judge dismissed on Wednesday a lawsuit challenging congressional health care enrollment in the D.C. small business exchange, ruling that federal regulations allow members of Congress and their staffs to enroll in the exchange.

Parting the waters just isnt the miracle it used to be, especially in an already bitterly divided Capitol. And all these years after President Obama declared there was no Red Sea, and there was no Blue Sea, but there was one United American Sea, were still waiting for the world historical figure who can walk on water across it.

Forced into handcuffs before and after congressional hearings over the past two days, protesters organizing with Code Pink are fuming about the beefed-up presence of Capitol Police when contentious, high-profile officials testify on Capitol Hill.

As of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, the District of Columbia will legalize marijuana, despite warnings from two congressional Republicans that doing so would break the law and could lead to possible prison time for D.C. officials.

Among the serious accusations of improper spending leveled at Rep. Aaron Schock since The Washington Post shined a spotlight on his Downton Abbey-themed office are at least a dozen flights aboard his political donors private planes.

While dazzling patrons with mind-blowingly fresh ingredients is certainly part of his master plan, dining impresario Michael Stember is currently most obsessed with making his traveling food show self-sustainable.

Virginias former first lady, Maureen McDonnell, is heading to prison for a year and a day after she was found guilty of trading favors in return for loans, vacations and gifts. Her husband, former Gov. Bob McDonnell, has also been sentenced and is appealing the ruling. A onetime GOP star, his career is likely over.

You cant go a week without getting one of those Moving on. . . emails from staffers detailing their latest job switch, usually something more glamorous than their last position (which they will bemoan leaving behind, along with an outstanding boss and set of co-workers, as any good staffer should). But how many emails can you read without questioning whether YOU should make the job hop as well? Hill Navigator discusses.

The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals has paused an ongoing case over budget autonomy, giving Mayor Muriel Bowser until March 16 to solidify her position in the case, public court documents filed Friday show.

Tucked away amid the row houses of NoMA is a once run down warehouse transformed into a clean modern contemporary art gallery. The quaint studio, Gallery NK, is the creation of Turkish born artist Nihal Kececi.

Interning may be the common way to get a job on Capitol Hill, but what if youve got the political experience and are ready to work full time? Do you really need the Capitol Hill internship? Hill Navigator discusses:

Hundreds of staffers crowded into the Cannon caucus room Wednesday afternoon to learn about what the District of Columbia has to offer outside of Capitol Hill  and to fill their D.C. Stuff bags with some capital swag.

Despite intense scrutiny from lawmakers and federal safety regulators in the month since the deadly Metro incident that sent dozens of riders to the hospital and resulted in one death, local transit and public safety officials havent convinced passengers that the Jan. 12 emergency couldnt happen again.

The Washington Jewish Film Festival gets underway on Thursday, an 11-day showcase for the global tapestry of Jewish life. What youll see  a range of films that includes repertory classics like Francois Truffauts The Last Metro and Louis Malles Au Revoir Les Enfants to contemporary Israeli selections such as Nissun Dayans The Dove Flyer  is by turns dark, funny, religious, secular, musical and everything else under the sun.

Two weeks after meeting with Speaker John A. Boehner, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser was back on Capitol Hill Thursday to meet with Democratic leaders and others to discuss D.C. issues, including Metro funding, marijuana legalization and autonomy.

As the House Administration Committee deliberated committee funding over the past week, its counterpart across the Dome, the Senate Rules and Administration Committee adopted its funding resolution in a two-minute markup Thursday morning.

Tears welling in her eyes, Maria Sotomayor explained to a staffer in the office of Rep. Lou Barletta how the Pennsylvania Republican put her family at risk by attempting to dismantle President Barack Obamas executive orders on immigration.

Though some legal confusion surrounds the fate of the District of Columbias marijuana legalization initiative, the D.C. Council defied Congress Monday by discussing a system to regulate the tax and sale of marijuana.

Its no secret Capitol Hill staffers are underpaid compared to their private-sector counterparts. But what if youre underpaid compared to the rest of Capitol Hill? When is it time to find work in another office? Hill Navigator discusses.

Theres something to be said for gumption: the go-get-em attitude that shrinks the power distance between junior staffers and the far senior authorities. But how does one bridge that divide and advance a career in the process? Hill Navigator discusses.

Nearly 10 months after she was escorted from Capitol Police headquarters, the civilian employee who headed the departments Office of Diversity pleaded guilty to embezzling public money during her previous employment at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., is continuing his legal battle over congressional members and staffers health care enrollment in the D.C. small business exchange by demanding answers to questions raised by an ongoing Obamacare lawsuit.

Much has been written about Capitol Hill staff and the wide disparities in paid maternity and paternity leave policies. Offices with longstanding histories of generous leave policies are quick to speak up, but many offices dodge the question, either citing privacy concerns or giving the classic silent treatment by ignoring reporters questions.

As one of the top travelers in Congress, Colorado Democrat Diana DeGette likes to give this advice to incoming House freshmen: Pick one or two countries and really get deeply involved in the politics and culture.

SEMINOLE, Fla.  What happens when a member of Congress dies in office? There is no standard set procedure and the internecine melee that followed the death of Rep. C.W. Bill Young, perhaps best illustrated by the exhaustive search for a handful of pictures and one Pentagon-approved memento, has ruined decades-old friendships and frayed family bonds seemingly beyond repair.

The little, local gelato maker that could has come a long way from solely dishing scoops of handmade refreshment to college kids and thrusting samples in the faces of those perusing different stalls at the farmers market. The decade-long trek to the top of the frozen dessert heap in D.C. has culminated in the development of the bright, welcoming Dolcezza Factory at 550 Penn St. NE that took up residence in the shadow of next-gen shopping hub Union Market last winter.

Forget the sunrise diner special, or candlelit, white tablecloth dinners. If youre going to eat one meal properly in Washington, D.C., it should be the power lunch. The power lunch is the ideal midday break, a mini-vacation to the day, a chance to hear the lobby pitches while nibbling on veal tagliatelle or steak frites, perhaps eyeing the room to see nearby diners who would warrant a quick tip to Heard on the Hill.

Are you reading this while at your desk? On your smartphone on the Metro? Maybe you get Hill Navigator delivered directly to your inbox. But how do you know if youre reading the best news sources to do your job effectively? Hill Navigator discusses.

After revelations that may have hurt the Republican brand, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is pushing through a rule change that could strengthen the largest member organizations, such as the Republican Study Committee, in the 114th Congress.

DAVIDSON CANYON, Ariz.  The bike rack at the Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead here is a twisted oxidized metal coil molded to look like a rattlesnake. Its a small bit of whimsy amid a majestic part of the 800-plus-mile Arizona Trail dedicated to the victims of a dark chapter in the Grand Canyon States history.

The congressional job search goes into overdrive every two years, as each election brings new members of Congress looking to hire staff. Working for a new member can be so much fun  you get all the optimism, good will and eagerness of Congress without the jaded, pessimistic edge (at least not yet). But how do you land one of those coveted spots? Hill Navigator discusses.

Matt Dennis wasnt used to making reporters wait for a response. But when he was on paternity leave, his newborn son Jonah took priority over his boss, Democratic Rep. Nita M. Lowey of New York, so he put the BlackBerry aside.

In a city such as D.C., with its infinite possibilities, had Segway tours become too much to endure? The answer is no, thanks to Segs in the City and their friends forever at the Institute of Justice, who sued to get rid of that D.C. rite of passage.

Interns are busy. Most everyone in D.C. is busy. But as longtime Hill Navigator readers may have noticed, this week we launched the first Roll Call e-book: Best Intern Ever: How to Ace Your Capitol Hill Internship.